How to make audio sound like a Phonograph recording?

[JackyBorderCollie]

Hi, I want to make the audio sound like a phonograph from the 1800s. However, I do not know how to, so any help is appreciated.
My OS is Windows 10 and Audacity version is 3.2.4

[DVDdoug]

Try experimenting with the Graphic EQ effect, especially cutting the high & low frequencies.

There are some Generate → Noise effects so you can generate some background noise and mix it in but there’s nothing built-in to generate crackle.

There is a free 3rd-party plug-in callled Izotope Vinyl. Last time I tried it, it worked with Audacity. You do have to register with Izotope but they don’t spam you or anything.

[Trebor]

@JackyBorderCollie

I want to make the audio sound like a phonograph

“Helmet radio” nyquist plugin (v1.5) … How to make your voice like this? (Presumably helmet-radio)

before-after

It’s only an Hollywood-style approximation: a genuine 1900 recording would be much worse.

[JackyBorderCollie]

I tried combining the Helmet radio and Vinyl, and also a distortion type, and it sounds pretty good! Thanks for the help guys!

[Trebor]

If you must have realism there’s a hardware option …

Peak Lo-Fi With A 1930s Celluloid Recorder

expensive & time-consuming though

[JackyBorderCollie]

That really sounds like 1930/1800s. However, I don’t really want to buy it, and the assembling looks too hard for me, so I guess I’ll use the Helmet Radio, Vinyl and Distortion.

[HalfNote5]

Easiest way is 2 EQ curves followed by a Foldover Distortion. (Then normalize the volume so it doesn’t blow your ears out.)

Run THIS EQ filter curve (Emulates a 1930s model EL for my modeling mic)
ANTELOPE-VERGE-TO-RAW-MODEL-EL(USE FOLD-Distort_and_Overdrive-after).TXT (6.5 KB)

THEN run the built-in “AM Radio” curve in the same effect.

THEN do “Foldover distortion” with drive set to 1.00 and skew set to 0.735.

It’ll get LOUD so normalize to about -2db before you hit play.

That should sound pretty accurate.

[HalfNote5]

P.S. You could also use a hiss/crackle generator, but if you just grab some audio of the stuff from a recording of someone else playing the beginning of a record, you could simply overlay a loop of it.

[mikeadair]

Easiest is to sample some old sounds from YT, like this Gramophone playing "When Summer is Gone" - YouTube (listen at 00:23 - and maybe use the run in as well?)